Lucky Prodigy

4: The Protector

^^ Kijin - Ken Katachi^^

— James —

I really didn't expect the Male Kijin to look the way he did. My idea of a male Ogre was that he would be like in the ink murals, a massive, rotund creature with a pair of tusks and horns, blue or red skin, and a crude iron club.

Instead, I got a tall red-haired man that was actually slightly shorter than the ladies, around 2 1/2 meters tall, with red-tinted white skin, and a well-muscled, -but not grotesque,- form. Over his tanned skin, he wore fur armor, and a layer of Japanese samurai plate-mail, but made of plates of an unknown material, not wood or iron rings. On his right hip hung a long odachi, -or perhaps just a very big katana,- made to fit his height. Both were fitted directly to his skin, clearly master's work.

His horns were different than the other Kijin and Ogres; several times bigger and thicker, and where theirs were gentle curves, his were straight, with a direct 45* angle in the middle, almost sending them backwards over his head.

I hummed, sitting on the bridge that crossed the stream, and looked at the veritable crowd he'd brought with him; all the Miko's, even Ameran, as well as several women I didn't know, a particularly tall Kijin woman to his right, and Mika and a young man, perhaps 15 years old, directly to his left.

"Hello." I nodded calmly, laying my Silver bokken across my knees, and sitting on a root that extended from nearby to give me a seat.

He bowed sharply at the waist, speaking in much the same way as the ogre Shrine Warrior from last night. "I, Ken Katachi, True Blood of the Kijin, Humbly Greet the Great Sage, Jay-Mes Taali-Yah!"

"I am just a Sage, not a Great Sage... but I appreciate your attempt at my name; you are only the second to do so, even after I introduced myself. It is James Taaliyah, which means 'Fortunate Son of God' in my mother's tongue." I nodded, and saw a few of the Miko's flinch.

"This One is Honored by your Praise!!! This One's name means-"

"Sword Form, Yes. It is Japanese, or Nihon, no?" I asked.

He bowed again. "Of course, the Sage knows these things!!!"

"Mm... so Mika is your Daughter? She has been a great help to me, ever since I returned from the Spirit World."

"Yes Mika is one of my Daughters with an Ogre, and this is my son, Zoken Katachi." He nudged forward the boy, who cleared his throat and stood straight, bowing strictly, though he wobbled a bit.

I hummed, as his father saw the wobble and corrected it with a small movement. "I congratulate you on the birth of your son. Your first?" I asked.

"Yes, I have never had a Son before him, Master Jamesu." He formed the syllables with some difficulty.

"I see... well, I asked you here because your daughter told me you practice Kendo, and are a mighty, mighty warrior, even having defeated a Hero? I am curious; this body of mine has withered, from fasting for over 100,000 years, and surviving only on the red water of the Spirit World... I wonder how I will fare against such might?" I chuckled, and stood up slowly.

He frowned at Mika, and cleared his throat. "I must, in honesty, say that I have never faced a True Hero, only the Hero's Seed; a fledgling, so to speak."

"Ah, Yes, she did say that, my mistake. Either way... would you care to spar? The inside of my Meditation Garden is private; none need know the outcome." I figured his pride wouldn't like getting beaten, and I wanted him for an ally, so embarrassing him wasn't a good idea; also, losing would be bad, because these people would lose respect for me.